Retaining-loop for plating-racks.



No. 675,662. Patanted lune 4, |901.

S. LOWE.

BETINING LOUP FDR PLATING RA'DKS.

(Applicstin led Nov. 16. 1&00.) (No Model.)

Figi,

WITMESSES.V lNvENToR.

UNTTED STnTEs PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL LOVE, OF W'ATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

HETAlNING-LOOP FOR PLATlNC-RACKS.-l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 675,662, dated June 4, 1901.

Application filed November 15, 1900. Serial No. 36,601, (No morleL) To @ZZ whom it may con/ocra.-

Be it known that l, SAMUEL LOWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at W'aterbury, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Retaining- Loop for Plating-Racks, of which the follow'- ing is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a retaining-loop for platingiacks the cost of which shall be so trifling as to cut no ligure in estimating the cost of production of plated articles, which shall be convenient and quick to place in position and remove, will remain securely in place under the ordinary conditions of use, may be readily removed by the operator, and which shall wholly do away with the use of wire in retaining articles upon the racks while being plated, thereby effecting an appreciable savingnt'. c., the entire cost of the wire used and also a saving of the time required in winding the wire upon both ends of each arm of the rack before dipping and in removing it therefrom after the completion of the plating operation.

`With the above ends in view l have devised the simple and novel retaining-loop for plating-racks which l will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and using reference characters to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a common form of plating-rack, illustrating the use in connection therewith of my novel retaining-loops; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation corresponding therewith.

A denotes a plating-rack of any ordinary or preferred construction. The special construction of the rack is wholly unimportant, so far as the principle of my invention is concerned, it being contemplated, ofcourse, that the rack comprises a plurality of springarms l0, the ends of which, with the exception of the lower arm, are upwardly turned, as at l1, for convenience in retaining the articles there'- on before the loops are in place. The lower arms are provided with downwardly-turned ends, as at l2. The arms are ordinarily carried by a suitable body 13, which is provided with a handle la.

Heretofore in using plating-racks it has been the general practice after the articles to be dipped in the plating solution had been placed thereon to prevent them from slipping off by winding fine wire from arm to arm at the outer ends of the arms. This wire it was not practicable to use a second time. The winding of the wire from arm to arm, moreover, before the dipping of the rack with the articles thereon and the unwinding of the wire from the arms after the rack with the articles thereon had been removed from the plating solution consumed considerable time for each dipping, thus making double items of expense which were continuous and which amounted in the aggregate to a su m well worth saving, in view of the close competition in the manufacture of small articles requiring to be plated. The desired result of retaining articles upon the rack while being dipped I accomplish perfectly by my novel retaining-loop B. This loop is endless-#that is, it may be made of wire with the ends joined or it may be blanked out from sheet metal. The essential features of my retaining-loop are an eye lat each end and below the eyes necks 16, which practically close the eyes. These necks where the retaining-loop is made from wire are formed by simply closing the sides of the loop together below the eyes. The central portion of the loop comprises an elongated opening 17, which receives the ends of all of the arms with the exception of the upper and lower arms. In use the ends of the upper and lower arms are received in the upper and lower eyes. As the ends of the arms are turned in opposite directions-t'. e. ,the ends of the lowerarms being turned down and of the Lipper arms turned up-'and as the necks prevent both the upper and the lower arms from springing inward under the normal conditions of use, it follows that when the loops are once put in place over the ends of the upper and lower arms they will stay there until removed by the operator, it being, however, very easy, owing to the resiliency of the arms, for the op'- erator to remove the loops therefrom when he desires to do so. It will be noted that the sides of opening 17 while far enough apart to receive the ends of the arms freely are yet close enough to the arms to prevent even small articles from slipping off from the arms in use even when the racks are handled hurriedly and with lack of care.

The operation of my novel platingeraek is I oo so Obvious as hardly to require description in detail. vHaving placed the articles to be dipped in a plating solution upon the arms, the operator places one of the eyes of the retaining-loop over the outer end of either the upper or lower arm, allows all of the other arms except the other outer arm to pass into opening 17, and then passes the other eye of the retaining-loop over the end of the disengaged outer arm, springing the arm slightly or as much as may be necessary to cause it to pass into the eye.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination with the arms of a plating-rack, the ends of the upper and lower arms being turned iu opposite directions, of a retaining-ring having eyes to receive the upper land lower arms, below said eyes necks which prevent inward movement of the arms and between the necks an elongated opening adapted to receive the ends of the intermediate arms, substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

2. A retaining-loop for plating-racks having at its ends eyes to receive the outer arms of a rack, below said eyes 'necks which close the eyes and between the necks an opening adapted to receive the intermediate arms of a rae-k.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.V

t SAMUEL LOVE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT A. LOWE, ROSE A. CLARKIN. 

